2004 Mercury Monterey Owner's Manual - Page 175

Driving GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating) - is the maximum allowable weight of the vehicle and the loaded trailer - including all cargo and passengers - that the vehicle can handle without risking damage. (Important: The towing vehicle's braking system is rated for operation at GVWR, not at GCWR. Separate functional brakes should be used for safe control of towed vehicles and for trailers where the GCW of the towing vehicle plus the trailer exceed the GVWR of the towing vehicle. The GCW must never exceed the GCWR. Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight - is the highest possible weight of a fully loaded trailer the vehicle can tow. It assumes a vehicle with only mandatory options, no cargo (internal or external), a tongue load of 10-15% (conventional trailer) or king pin weight of 15-25% (fifth wheel trailer), and driver only (150 lbs [68 kg]). Consult your dealership (or the RV and Trailer Towing Guide provided by your dealership) for more detailed information. Tongue Load or Fifth Wheel King Pin Weight - refers to the amount of the weight that a trailer pushes down on a trailer hitch. Examples: For a 5,000 lbs. (2,268 kg) conventional trailer, multiply 5,000 by 0.10 and 0.15 to obtain a proper tongue load range of 500 to 750 lbs. (227 to 340 kg). For an 11,500 lbs. (5,216 kg) fifth wheel trailer, multiply by 0.15 and 0.25 to obtain a proper king pin load range of 1,725 to 2,875 lbs. (782 to 1,304 kg) Do not exceed the GVWR or the GAWR specified on the certification label. Do not use replacement tires with lower load carrying capacities than the originals because they may lower the vehicle's GVWR and GAWR limitations. Replacement tires with a higher limit than the originals do not increase the GVWR and GAWR limitations. Exceeding any vehicle weight rating limitation could result in serious damage to the vehicle and/or personal injury. 175 2004 Monterey (mty) Owners Guide (post-2002-fmt) USA English (fus)